Quicksand
by othfreek
Summary: Haley shows a darker Nathan what life is about. AU/OOC


Prologue

_L__ife is an opportunity, benefit from it._ –Mother Teresa  
_May 19, 2009_

You know those stories where something tragic happens to the girl and she finds her hero in a romantic whirlwind that's a little played out but sweet? Well, that's not mine.

My name is Haley James and I'm your quintessential girl next door. I'm not gonna lie and say I've had a hard life because honestly, it's been relatively easy so far. I live in Tree Hill, a small town in North Carolina that is the epitome of home and comfort. At nineteen, I have the two best friends in the world.

Lucas Roe. I've known Lucas since I was in diapers; he's practically my brother. He's the strong but silent type, and he's a total book worm. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I mean, I'm kind of a book nerd myself. He's always been there for me, but sometimes I need someone to talk to about, well, more personal things. AKA: girl stuff.

In comes Peyton Sawyer. Peyton's not exactly what you would call cheery, but we love her anyways. She's had a pretty tough life, and all things considering, she's an extremely strong person. Her music collection is kick ass and she's one heck of an artist. Like Lucas, she's been there with me for as long as I can remember.

As much as I love my town and the friends I have in it, I feel like there's something missing. I need to branch out and explore new things. I need an adventure. That's why I applied for a writing internship this summer in Las Angeles, California.

The internship is for the _Las Angeles Times_, which involves writing an article on a top notch business person. Certain big shots have agreed to let an intern stay at their house for three months as we observe their lives.

I got my acceptance letter a few weeks ago, but I haven't told anyone yet. I'm still nervous about it. I mean, I've grown up in this small town and have been sheltered my whole life. I'm nineteen for god sakes, and I'm still a virgin.

As nervous as I am, though, this is an opportunity I just can't pass up. This is my chance to discover who I am.

The letter said I was to stay at what looks to be an extremely expensive house owned by some guy named Nathan Scott. I have to interview him and learn about his life, then report back and write an expose about his life. From what I've heard, he's gorgeous, and he knows it.

The gossips say he has a different woman in his bed nightly, but still manages to maintain an extremely private life on the inside. Word is he's been through a hard time in the past, and has a cynical outlook on the world.

_Great!_ I'm going to be living with some pessimistic jerk and have to find out about all his previous and present conquests. How's that for an adventure.

Chapter 1  
_May 27, 2009_

"Okay you guys, this is my stop," Haley said as she turned to face Lucas and Peyton. They were at the airport, and Haley was just about to board her flight.

"We're gonna miss you Hales," Lucas whispered as he swooped her into a giant bear hug. Haley suddenly felt tears prick her eyes. _You will not cry_, she told herself sternly.

As she turned to hug Peyton, she noticed the dampness of Peyton's eyes. _Oh heck, I'm gonna cry_, Haley thought.

"Come here," Peyton said, and they hugged as if it was the last time they'd see each other. As sappy as it sounds, this was the first time they'd be apart since summer camp over six years ago, and that did not turn out well. "You better search for some new bands and report back to me immediately," Peyton said as she hugged Haley one last time.

"I will," she promised, trying to contain the tears that were about to escape.

"Be safe," Lucas called as Haley headed for her station. It was such a lovely moment, being reminded of their strong bond was and how sweet he could be.

"And don't let any assholes deflower you. I mean it, you had better tell them you're saving yourself for marriage, or else they'll have to answer to me," he screamed, ruining the moment and mortifying Haley beyond words. People were now staring at her. _Staring_!

She glared at him one last time before she boarded the flight. "Las Angeles here I come," she whispered to herself.

The flight was long and boring. Well, up until the point a man with gold teeth and a new type of fungus—which Haley was not entirely sure had been discovered yet— growing on his hands sat down next to her. Then it turned downright miserable.

Haley was supposed to look for a man in his mid-forties holding a sign that read "Haley James." The problem was, she couldn't find him.

"Where are you?" she whispered to herself as she blew out a long breath.

She heard someone clear their throat and bumped into a person behind her. She turned around to find a man with dark black hair and matching eyes staring down at her.

"Wooh," she screamed, and then let out a nervous chuckle. "You scared me there, buddy."

He didn't appear amused. In fact, he continued to stare down at her with a somber expression until she was forced to introduce herself.

"My name's Haley," she said, sticking out her hand. When he just stared at it for a few seconds as though it would contaminate him, she tried to slyly pretend she was pushing her hair back. "It's nice to meet you…?"

"Frank Martin," he replied in a deep voice.

"Nice to meet you, Frank," Haley said in a friendly manner.

"Mr. Martin," he corrected her in an agitated voice.

_Ouch_.

She was about to interrupt the awkward silence he had just created when he started to walk away.

"U-um, excuse me," she said in a timid voice as she chased after him.

"The limo outside will take us to Mr. Scott's house, and once you're there, the maid will settle you in," he said in a business tone. "If you have any questions, feel free to refrain from asking me. All will be answered when we arrive at the house."

They packed the few bags that Haley had brought with her into the limo, and once they settled in, she tried to make conversation.

"So this is a pretty sweet ride, huh?" Haley commented as he sat opposite her with a trace of annoyance on his face.

"It's a big limo," she tried again. "Nice and roomy. A person could live in this if they had enough food and—"

"Do you mind?" he asked sharply. "I already have a migraine and your incessant chatter is making it worse."

Haley looked down at her hands awkwardly before clearing her throat and turning to look out the window. She didn't understand why he didn't like her, and to be honest, he was starting to hurt her feelings. Everyone liked her.

She glanced at him one more time and gave him a small smile, hoping to sway him with a last attempt.

Her face fell when he just looked at her with a perturbed glance then focused his gaze on something outside the window.

_This is going to be a long six months_, Haley thought.

…

When they finally arrived and Frank let Haley to herself, she started walking—well, stumbling, considering she'd entered the house by tripping over the massive rug at the door—through the monstrous cave Nathan Scott called a home. Some people might call it artistic and beautiful, but to Haley it seemed dark and depressing. Lonely.

The walls were painted a deep gray, and the ceilings went up at odd angles. There was barely anything on the walls, except for the few expensive pieces of collector's art. The floor was a pricey looking black wood. Haley was almost afraid to step on it because it looked like it had just been polished.

All in all, the house had an eerie feeling to it, like no one had actually lived here. It was as if Nathan had never really made this place his home. Everything seemed perfectly tidy and centered, refined.

She soon found herself exploring, and her curiosity got the best of her when she found herself standing in front of a tall, black door. It must have been at least ten feet high, and the knob was bigger than Haley's head. Without thinking, she pushed the door open and walked in.

She was greeted by the most magnificent site she'd ever seen. Shelves and shelves of books, all the way up to the ceilings. Half the books were just lying on the ground and Haley found herself staring at the heaps of books piled everywhere.

The first half of the room was a wide, open space of dark green carpet, almost so dark that it looked black. The walls were a deep, warm red that filled Haley with immediate comfort and reception. There were tall bookshelves forming columns on the sides of that section, and Haley guessed that it was quite easy to get lost in here.

As she walked further into the room, she noticed the short stairs leading up to an elevated part with the bookshelves covering the walls. It had railings on the outer ledge so that it created a barrier between upstairs and downstairs. She walked up the stairs to take a closer look.

That was when she inhaled sharply and commanded herself to breathe. Angels, beautiful Botticelli angels playing harps and floating through the clouds. As she looked up, she felt as if she were outside and the sky was about to fall down in a beautiful mess on top of her. It must have taken long hours and a lot of money for the beautiful work of art hovering above her head. Of course, it wasn't exactly _hovering_, because the ceilings were about twenty feet high.

Still looking up at the ceilings and not exactly watching where she was going, she tripped over a stack of books, none too gracefully, and muttered a quiet, "Darn it."

She was so busy straightening her posture she didn't notice someone in the shadows watching her. Although, her un-observant nature probably wouldn't have picked up on that fact anyways.

"Can I help you?" A man's hard voice cut through the silence, and Haley whipped her head around so fast she almost snapped it in half.

She looked around, confused as to where the voice came from. It was terrifying, to say the least, sounding smooth and musical, yet harsh at the same time. And angry. _Really_ angry.

"I asked you a question," the voice sounded closer, but no less angry, to Haley's dismay.

"U-uh…I," Haley stuttered, not really sure how to talk to someone she didn't know was there. She looked up at the ceiling again, wondering if maybe she was losing her mind and wanting so badly to be up there, flying with the angels.

"Who are you?" the voice snapped, this time from…_behind_ her?

Oh dear, the terrifying man was behind her. Breathe Haley. Just breathe. She slowly turned around, only to find herself face to face with without a doubt the most beautiful man she'd ever seen.

His hair was raven black, closely cropped to his head and just a bit heavier on the top. It looked polished and clean, as did the rest of him. But that wasn't what captured her attention. His eyes, blue fire blazing with anger and curiosity, felt like they were piercing her. It was as if someone had taken broken blue glass and shined a light through them.

"I'm going to ask you this one more time," he said, very slowly, as if she were incapable of understanding common pace of speech. "Who the fuck are you?"

Haley barely hid her flinch as she cleared her throat. "Is it really necessary for you to scream at me? And I don't appreciate people who curse."

His eyes darkened the tiniest bit and the muscle in his jaw ticked. Haley stared at it, fascinated, until she realized she was only making him angrier.

"My name is Haley James, and I am the intern picked to observe your life. Fra-uh, Mr. Martin brought me here—"

"I'll have to make sure and let him know not to bring home countryside trash next time," Nathan murmured wryly as he glided past her, looking down at her over his nose as he passed.

"Now wait just a minute," Haley said, hot on his heels. She wasn't one for conflict but she certainly wasn't going to let anyone speak to her like that.

He gave her a noncommittal glance over his shoulder and continued to walk away from her. Haley sped up and ran in front of him, enjoying the momentary look of surprise on his face before he expertly covered it with one of annoyance.

"There. Now stay," Haley said, out of breath and holding her hands up, palms facing Nathan. "Now, I don't appreciate the way you spoke to me back there, but I'm sure you didn't realize you were being rude and now you regret it."

Haley smiled. She was proud of herself for remaining calm and keeping her voice tranquil.

Nathan took one look at the way she was gripping her hands together and couldn't stop the twitch of his lips at her obvious distress. She was an open book, her face displaying the multitude of emotions she was feeling, the most evident being her aggravation. He supposed she was beautiful, a nice combination with her honey blonde hair and brown eyes, but he'd met many beautiful women before and he knew what they were about. This one was no different.

"No," Nathan clucked his tongue, somewhat enjoying the look of frustration displayed so obviously on her face. "I don't see regrets in my future."

Haley placed her hands behind her back in order to resist the sudden urge to strangle him. For someone who prided themselves on always being calm, she was shocked at the emotions he was evoking in her.

Haley was too busy with the flow of thoughts running through her mind that she didn't notice Nathan had left. When she finally did, she decided she'd hurt his feelings by speaking so harshly and promised herself that tomorrow they would start over and everything would be splendid.

-

(:


End file.
